Crystalline aluminophosphate compositions are well known materials which find a promising reception in industry as new generations of molecular sieves, catalyst carriers as well as catalysts. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,440 the preparation of various crystalline aluminophosphates is described from reaction mixtures containing inter alia organic templating agents including tetrapropylammonium hydroxide, quinuclidine, t-butylamine and ethylenediamine.
Classes of these materials comprise compsitions crystallized in the AlPO.sub.4, SAPO.sub.4 (silicoaluminophosphate), MeAPO.sub.4 (metalloaluminophosphate) and ElAPO.sub.4 (non-metal substituted aluminophosphate) families.
It has now been found that novel crystalline aluminophosphates and related compounds, e.g. of the AlPO.sub.4 -, SAPO.sub.4 - and MeAPO.sub.4 -type can be prepared from reaction gels or solutions when use is made of the appropriate forming components and a 2,2'-bipyridyl compound.